Dual rotation mill

ABSTRACT

A comminuting apparatus particularly adaptable for use in comminuting seeds such as pepper seeds and coffee beans. The apparatus includes a tubular housing including a comminution member coaxially and rotatably disposed therein. The comminution member is constructed to permit clockwise or counterclockwise rotation.

United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 310,418 1/1885 Halstead Primary ExaminerDonald G. Kelly Att0rneyFred P. Kostka ABSTRACT: A comminuting apparatus particularly adaptable for use in comm'muting seeds such as pepper seeds and coffee beans. The apparatus includes a tubular housing including a comminution member coaxially and rotatably disposed therein. The comminution member is constructed to permit clockwise or counterclockwise rotation.

DUAL ROTATION MILL BACKGROU ND OF THE INVENTION used for comminuting comestibles such as condiments, as for example pepper seeds and the like.

Heretofore comminuting apparatus used for comestibles of the foregoing type have incorporated a complex and expensive comminution member. These prior comminution structures are typified by the commonly available pepper and coffee mill which are made from metal which. is either cast or machined to provide a plurality of side-by-side flutes each of which are generated along a helix. Usually there is an upper row of relatively wide flutes and a lower row of relatively narrow flutes. The terminal ends of the upper flutes communicate with the lower flutes.

The fluted comminution member is rotatably supported within an open end tubular housing so that upon turning thereof in the direction of the generation of the helical grooves the seeds, or the like, charged into the upper end of the housing are crushed between the bore sidewall and the flute surfaces. The seeds are initially crushed in the upper row of flutes to a size capable of being received in the lower rows of flutes in which they are further crushed and discharged through restricted passages at the lower end of the flutes and outwardly of the bottom end of the housing. I

These prior helically fluted comminution members are required to be rotated only in the direction of generation of the helical flutes in order to be operative. This one directional rotation is not always desirable because often times the user rotates the mill in the wrong direction and dicards the apparatus because of the mistaken belief that it is defective or broken. Moreover, the flute construction of these comminution members is such that the latter has to be made from metal. Efforts to use other materials such as wood, plastic and the like have been unsuccessful because of the short wear life.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved comminuting apparatus for comestibles such as condiments and the like which is of simple construction and economical to manufacture.

It is a further object to provide a comminuting apparatus which is constructed so as to be rotatable clockwise or counterclockwise and achieve the same comminuting performance in either direction of rotation.

It is still a further object to provide a comminuting apparatus which may be constructed of wood or plastic.

The above objects are achieved by a comminuting apparatus comprising generally a housing having a circular bore extending therethrough. Tumably supported m the bore is a cylindrical comminution member having a gdiameter no greater than the bore. A plurality of angularly spaced concave grooves extend the length of the cylinder. The grooves are each tapered so as to define a relatively large concave intake opening at the upper end of the cylindrical comminution member and a restricted discharge passage at the lower end thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a comminuting apparatus embodying the structure of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the comminuting apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 3-3 ofFlG. 2. o

FIG. 4 is a bottom plane view of the comminuting ap paratus.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary ing apparatus.

perspective view of the comminutl 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings there is shown a comminuting apparatus 10 of the type particularly adapted to be used for comminuting pepper seeds, coffee beans or the like. It is to be clearly understood however that this apparatus may be adapted for other uses although for purposes of this description the apparatus is used as a pepper or coffee mill.

The comminuting apparatus 10 comprises generally a housing 11 having an open end bore 12. Coaxially disposed in the bore 12 is a comminution assembly 13 to which there is detachably secured a knob or cover 14.

The housing 11 is preferably made from wood and is of generally circular cross section along its length. The contour or exterior appearance may be varied to impart any desired aesthetic appearance thereto. As shown the exterior of the housing 11 is formed with a necked-in portion 15 to facilitate the gripping thereof.

The cylindrical bore 12 as shown is of substantially constant diameter along its length and is formed with a relatively smooth wall 16. The bore 12 includes an upper or input end 17 and a lower or discharge end 18.

The comminuting assembly 13 includes a comminuting head 19 and an actuating shaft 20 for rotating the head 19 relative to the housing 11. The head 19 is preferably made from wood and is generally cylindrical having a diameter slightly less than the bore 12 so as to permit free rotation therein.

The actuating shaft 20 is formed at one end with a head 21 which underlies a narrow support plate 22 in which the shaft 22 is joumaled on the underside of the comminution head 19. The support plate 22 is suitably fastened as by screws within diametrically disposed recesses on the underside of the housing 11. Spaced inwardly from the other end 23 of the shaft 20 is a rectangular collar 24.

As shown the comminution head,l9 is formed with a plurali ty of angularly spaced concave grooves 25. The concave grooves 25 are each tapered to define with the bore wall 16 a large intake opening 26 at the upper end and a narrow restricted opening 27 at the lower end communicating with the bore discharge end 18. In this connection it is to be noted that a plurality of concave recesses 28 are fomIed in the bore wall 16 and located substantially intermediate the length of the concave grooves 25. The knob or cover 14 may also be made from wood and includes a circular recess 29 for accommodating the upper end of the housing 11. Axially formed in the underside of the recess 29 is a bore 30 and a rectangular recess 31 for receiving the end 23 and collar 24 of the actuating shaft 20 therein. When the collar 24 is seated within the recess 31 the knob 14 is fixed against rotation relative the shaft 20 so that upon turning of the knob 14 the comminuting head 19 fixed to the shaft 20 is rotated relative to the housing 11.

In operation the knob 14 is removed from the shaft 20 and pepper seeds or the like are charged into housing bore 12. The knob 14 is then reseated on the shaft 20 and the housing and knob rotated relatively to each other. The pepper seeds drop into the large intake passages 26 at the upper side of the comminuting head 19. During rotation the seeds become entrapped between the surfaces of the concave'wall recessing 28 and the taper grooves 25in the comminution head 19. As is readily. apparent, the seeds become entrapped in the recesses 28 and are crushed between the opposing surfaces so that the seeds are broken down into small particles. Further rotation the discharge end 18 of the bore 12. lf it is desired to increase or decrease the size of the discharged particles it is only necessary to increase or decrease the taper of the grooves 25.

lclaim:

l. A comminuting apparatus comprising a housing having an open ended cylindrical bore, and a cylindrical comminuting head coaxially and rotatably disposed in said bore adjacent one end thereof, said comminuting head having a plurality of angularly spaced tapering concave grooves fonned on and extending the full length of the cylindrical surface of said head, said concave grooves tapering both longitudinally and transversely.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said tapering concave grooves each define an enlarged intake opening with said bore at the upper face of said cylindrical comminuting head and a restricted narrow discharge passage at the lower face of said cylinder. 7

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said tapering concave grooves are axially disposed on saidcylindrical surface of said head.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein a plurality of angularly spaced concave recesses are formed on the wall of said bore and are located substantially midway between the ends of said cylindrical comminuting head.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said comminuting head is made from wood. 

1. A comminuting apparatus comprising a housing having an open ended cylindrical bore, and a cylindrical comminuting head coaxially and rotatably disposed in said bore adjacent one end thereof, said comminuting head having a plurality of angularly spaced tapering concave grooves formed on and extending the full length of the cylindrical surface of said head, said concave grooves tapering both longitudinally and transversely.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said tapering concave grooves each define an enlarged intake opening with said bore at the upper face of said cylindrical comminuting head and a restricted narrow discharge passage at the lower face of said cylinder.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said tapering concave grooves are axially disposed on said cylindrical surface of said head.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein a plurality of angularly spaced concave recesses are formed on the wall of said bore and are located substantially midway between the ends of said cylindrical comminuting head.
 5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said comminuting head is made from wood. 